Former Indian captain and commentator Ajinkya Rahane has revealed that he was really nervous after taking over captaincy from the regular captain Virat Kohli in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2020-21 Down Under.
Kohli led the side at the Adelaide Oval in the first Test after getting bundled out for 36 runs in the first innings. However, Rahane became stand-in captain for the last three Tests with Kohli leaving Australia for the birth of his first child.
Speaking at an event named ‘Beyond Boundaries’, Rahane revealed that he had to bluff in front of his teammates, Australians and the media right after taking over the captaincy from Kohli. Interestingly, Team India turned things around to end the four-game series 2-1 in their favour.
“I remember one thought in my head about when we lost the game in Adelaide, and then everyone started talking about that ‘India will probably lose 4-0’, and ‘there’s no chance for the Indian team’. I was nervous, frankly. I’ll be really honest. But as a sportsman, you get to learn so many things, and the most important learning, and the most important thing for me, was to bluff in front of my teammates, bluff in front of the Aussies, and bluff in front of the media,” Rahane said in a panel discussion for an event named “Beyond Boundaries”.
“I remember talking to my teammates, and I said, ‘Oh, we are the lucky ones to be here representing our country. There are so many guys wanting to play for India, but at times, luck plays a massive part in our careers’. Let’s forget about the result and the outcome; whatever happens, day four, day five, we will take it. I will take all the responsibility, but let’s enjoy the game and play for each other. It was indeed very special, the Australia tour, for everyone, not just for us the players, but also for the whole nation,” he added.
